A pouched product for oral use

ABSTRACT

Described is a pouched product for oral use that includes a liquid permeable cover material and a portion sized amount of a filling material has a water insoluble particulate material, the filling material being enclosed by the liquid permeable cover material. The particles of the water insoluble particulate material have an average particle size within the range of from 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm, a particle density in the range of from 0.8 g/cm 3  to 1.7 g/cm 3  and a pre-use moisture content of from 1% by weight of the filling material to 35% by weight of the filling material.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a pouched product for oral use comprising a liquid permeable cover material and a portion sized amount of a filling material comprising a particulate material, the filling material being enclosed by the liquid permeable cover material.

BACKGROUND

An oral pouched product as disclosed herein, is intended for use in the oral cavity, such as by buccal placement e.g., by placing the pouched product between the upper or lower gum and the lip or cheek. A pouched smokeless tobacco product may also be referred to as a portion-packed smokeless tobacco product for oral use. The pouched product is normally sized and configured to fit comfortably and discreetly in a user's mouth between the upper or lower gum and the lip or cheek.

Traditionally, oral pouched products are used in the oral cavity of a consumer to provide a user with the benefits of an active substance such as nicotine, caffeine, and/or different flavors. A common type of nicotine containing oral pouched products is oral smokeless tobacco products. Such products generally comprise water, salt, pH adjuster(s) and additional components such as flavors and humectants. Commonly, these products are called snuff.

Oral pouched nicotine containing products comprising no tobacco, or only a small amount of tobacco are now becoming increasingly popular among consumers due to inter alia their appealing appearance, freshness and taste. Moreover, this kind of product allows a user to enjoy nicotine without being exposed to tobacco. The tobacco free or almost tobacco free oral pouched products are usually flavored compositions comprising a filling material which may e.g., comprise particles of microcrystalline cellulose or fiber material derived from plants other than tobacco.

Further types of oral pouched products are those which only deliver a flavor into the oral cavity and those which are designed for delivering active substances other than nicotine.

The tobacco free oral pouched products are generally relatively dry products, with a pre-use moisture content below 35% by weight of the filling material and often below 20% by weight of the filling material. Oral pouched products having even lower moisture content, in the order of 4-10% by weight of the filling material are also known in the art.

Oral pouched products are typically used by a consumer by placing the pouch between the upper or lower gum and the lip and retaining it there for a limited period of time. The product is configured to fit comfortably and discreetly in the user's mouth. The pouch material holds the filling material in place allowing saliva to pass into the filling material and allowing flavors and active substances such as nicotine to diffuse from the filling material into the consumer's mouth.

It has been found that oral pouched products having a relatively dry filling material made up mainly of a powdery or particulate material may be perceived by users as giving a disagreeably dry and gritty mouth feeling, especially in an initial phase of use of such products. Such products may also be found by users to have a less malleable consistency than desired.

An objective with the disclosure herein is to offer an oral pouched product containing a filling material having improved properties, in particular regarding mouthfeel and malleability.

SUMMARY

The above object may be achieved with an oral pouched product according to claim 1. Variations of the disclosure are set out in the dependent claims and in the following description.

The pouched product for oral use as disclosed herein comprises a liquid permeable cover material and a filling material comprising a water insoluble particulate material consisting of water insoluble particles, the filling material being enclosed by the liquid permeable cover material. The filling material is free from tobacco material, or the filling material comprises tobacco material in an amount within the range of from 0.05 wt % to 10 wt % based on the total weight of the filling material.

The particles of the water insoluble particulate material have an average particle size within the range of from 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm, a particle density in the range of from 0.8 g/cm³ to 1.7 g/cm³ and a pre-use moisture content of from 1% by weight of the filling material to 35% by weight of the filling material.

With a particle density of 0.8 g/cm³, the bulk density of the water insoluble particulate material is preferably 0.6 g/cm³ or less, and with a particle density of 1.7 g/cm³, the bulk density of the water insoluble particulate material is preferably 1.2 g/cm³ or less.

A filling material for oral pouched products having a relatively low moisture content has been found to meet user expectations by providing a pleasant mouthfeel and good malleability when the filling material comprises a particulate material having relatively large particles and a relatively high particle density. The particle size and the particle density of the particulate material combine to provide the particulate material with a low dynamic coefficient of friction as measured according to the method disclosed herein and have been found to characterize a filling material having a high fluidity. A high fluidity implies that the particles of the particulate material in the filling material can easily shift in relation to each other and to the cover material, resulting in the oral pouched products as disclosed herein having an excellent malleability and a fluid mouthfeel. These properties of the oral pouched products as disclosed herein have been found to be highly appreciated by users.

The filling material in the oral pouched products as disclosed herein have a pre-use moisture content as determined by the method disclosed herein of from 1% by weight of the filling material to 35% by weight of the filling material. The filling material in the oral pouched products as disclosed herein may have a pre-use moisture content as determined by the method disclosed herein of from 1% by weight of the filling material to 30% by weight of the filling material, such as from 1% by weight of the filling material to 25% by weight of the filling material, such as from 1% by weight of the filling material to 20% by weight of the filling material, such as from 1% by weight of the filling material to 15% by weight of the filling material, such as from 1% by weight of the filling material to 7% by weight of the filling material, such as from 5% by weight of the filling material to 30% by weight of the filling material, such as from 5% by weight of the filling material to 25% by weight of the filling material, such as from 5% by weight of the filling material to 20% by weight of the filling material, such as from 5% by weight of the filling material to 15% by weight of the filling material, such as from 10% by weight of the filling material to 20% by weight of the filling material, such as from 10% by weight of the filling material to 15% by weight of the filling material.

A filling material in an oral pouched product as disclosed herein and having a relatively low pre-use moisture content is perceived by users to be fresh and agreeable to handle when taking it out of a user container and tucking it in, e.g., between the upper or lower lip and the gum of the user.

It may be preferred that the moisture content of the filling material in the oral pouched products as disclosed herein is less than 20% by weight.

The malleability of the oral pouched products as disclosed herein may be further enhanced by selecting a particulate material having a low content of small particles and fines. A high content of small particles and fines may detract from the malleability of the filling material by increasing inter-particle friction and thereby lowering the ability of the particles in the water insoluble particulate material to move freely in relation to each other.

It may be preferred that the water insoluble particulate material in the filling material as disclosed herein contains less than 0.5% of particles which are small enough to pass through a sieve having a mesh size of 250 μm.

A mesh size of 250 μm corresponds to a particle size in the order of a small to medium-sized grain of sand. Such particles are extremely unpleasant if they escape out through the cover material into the oral cavity of a user as they give rise to a gritty and dry mouthfeel which may linger for a long time after the product has been placed in the oral cavity, especially if the particles are non-soluble particles.

Small particles and fines in a filling material may also cause problems with dusting during manufacturing of oral pouched products, as they may impair seal formation and may cause clogging of machine parts. It is also desirable to minimize the amount of dust from a health and hygiene perspective of the manufacturing process.

The particles of the water insoluble particulate material may have any useful shape, with regular shapes being preferred over irregular shapes. Furthermore, it may be preferred to use particles having a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical shape, a spherical or substantially spherical shape, or particles having an elongated rounded or substantially rounded shape such as an egg-shape or a grain shape. A particle having a shape being substantially cylindrical, spherical, etc., implies that the overall shape of the particle may be e.g., spherical but that there may be irregularities in the particle surface such as dimples. Irregularly shaped particles having protruding parts, sharp corners and edges are generally less preferred.

The water insoluble particles may be relatively dense, non-porous particles having a particle density in the range of from 0.8 g/cm³ to 1.7 g/cm³, such as from 1.0 g/cm³ to 1.5 g/cm³, such as from 1.1 g/cm³ to 1.4 g/cm³. Dense, non-porous particles have a generally less irregular surface on a micro-scale which may contribute to further lower frictional forces between the particles as well as between the particles and the cover material.

The particles of the water insoluble particulate material in the filling material as disclosed herein are relatively large particles and may have an average particle size within the range of from 0.4 mm to 3.0 mm, such as from 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm, such as from 0.6 mm to 2.5 mm, such as from 0.7 mm to 2 mm, such as from 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm, such as from 0.85 mm to 1.2 mm.

The particles of the water insoluble particulate material in the filling material may be of generally the same size, with a narrow particle size distribution profile.

The particles of the water insoluble particulate material in the filling material are preferably spherical or generally spherical particles having a sphericity within the range of from 0.7 to 1.0, such as from 0.8 to 1.0. Sphericity and particle size may be determined with the aid of a QicPic image analysis instrument from 2012, Sympatec GmbH, ID No. 290-D, with Rodos/L dispersion line ID NO 214D and Vibri/L sample feeding ID NO 273, or equivalent equipment. A well dispersed particle flow is led through the image plane of the instrument. If the particles are small, a high number of particles per image frame may be captured, such as in the order of 50,000-100,000 particles per image frame. For larger particles, such as particles having a particle size from 300 μm to 3000 μm, the number of particles per image frame may be substantially less and may be in the order of from 300 to 2000 particles per image frame.

The particulate material in the filling material consists of water insoluble particles. The water insoluble particles may comprise or consist of particles of microcrystalline cellulose, water insoluble starch, silica, or a mixture thereof.

The water insoluble particles may constitute 75% by dry weight to 99% by dry weight of the filling material, such as 85% by dry weight to 98% by dry weight of the filling material or 95% by dry weight to 98% by dry weight of the filling material. The water insoluble particles may constitute 85% by dry weight to 99% by dry weight of the filling material.

The water permeable outer cover material of the oral pouched products as disclosed herein may have an air permeability of from 4,500 l/m²/s to 10,000 l/m²/s, when measured according to the test method WSP070.1.R3(12) specified by EDANA, i.e. the European Disposables and Nonwovens Association. The air permeability is associated with the porosity of the packaging material and hence also associated with its tendency to leak filling material. A cover material having an air permeability of more than 4,500 l/m²/s is referred to herein as having a high air permeability.

The water permeable outer cover material may have a basis weight in the range of from 10 g/m² to 30 g/m². A cover material having a relatively low basis weight has a high air permeability and constitutes a minimal barrier to saliva transport into and out of the filling material in the oral pouched product. Such cover materials have also been found to offer sensory benefits, in particular when combined with particles having a relatively large particle size, as disclosed herein. Larger particles which are freely movable inside the cover and which may be felt through a cover material may contribute to the particulate filling material in the oral pouched product being perceived as having a pleasantly fluid quality comparative to that of a bean-bag.

The particles of the water insoluble particulate material in the filling material of the oral pouched products as disclosed herein may have a relatively large particle size in the range of from 0.3 mm to 3 mm, preferably from 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm, more preferred from 0.6 mm to 3.0 mm, and most preferred from 0.7 mm to 3 mm, in combination with a water permeable cover material having a porosity in the range of from 4,500 l/m²/s to 10,000 l/m²/s, when measured according to the EDANA test method WSP070.1.R3(12).

Highly permeable cover materials may be preferred as they allow saliva to readily pass into and out of the filling material and may contribute to a high release rate for active components, flavours, sweeteners etc. from the filling material enclosed by the cover material. A drawback with highly porous cover materials may be that there is a risk that also non-soluble substrate materials such as water insoluble particles and powder as well as fibres in the filling material may escape through pores in the cover material and into the oral cavity of a user of the oral pouched product. By selecting large particles in combination with highly porous cover materials, the risk of escaping particles may be considerably reduced or even eliminated.

The liquid permeable cover material of the oral pouched product may be a nonwoven material, such as a nonwoven material comprising staple fibres of regenerated cellulose. The staple fibres may be viscose staple fibres and the nonwoven material may further comprise a binder, such as a chemical binder.

The filling material of the oral pouched product as disclosed herein may comprise nicotine.

The nicotine may be added to the water insoluble particulate material of the filling material in the form of a nicotine compound. The nicotine compound may be a nicotine base and/or may be selected from the group consisting of nicotine hydrochloride, nicotine dihydrochloride, nicotine monotartrate, nicotine bitartrate, nicotine bitartrate dihydrate, nicotine sulphate, nicotine zinc chloride monohydrate and nicotine salicylate, nicotine benzoate, nicotine polacrilex and any combination thereof.

The filling material of the oral pouched product as disclosed herein is a tobacco free filling material or a filling material having a low tobacco content, the filling material comprising tobacco material in an amount within the range of from 0.05 wt % to 10 wt % such as from 0.05 wt % to 1 wt % or from 0.2 wt % to 1 wt %, based on the total weight of the filling material. In such case, the tobacco material may be a nicotine source. The tobacco material may be the only nicotine source or may be a nicotine source in addition to one or more of the nicotine compounds disclosed herein. The water insoluble particulate material in the filling material as disclosed herein is preferably constituted by tobacco free particles, such as tobacco free particles of microcrystalline cellulose, water insoluble starch, silica, or a mixture of two or more different types of tobacco free particles. A tobacco free filling material or tobacco free particles may contain trace amounts of tobacco, below 0.05 wt %.

The filling material of the oral pouched product as disclosed herein may comprise an additive selected from the group consisting of a flavouring agent, a sweetener, a humectant, and any mixture thereof.

The additive may comprise or consists of a flavouring agent, such as a flavour oil, such as a hydrophobic flavour oil, such as a synthetic flavour, such as a nature-identical flavour.

The filling material of the oral pouched product as disclosed herein may be free from tobacco material. A tobacco free filling material may contain material derived from other plant sources such as coffee, tea, herbs, etc., and/or any suitable flavouring agent, sweetener, etc., as known in the art.

The one or more water soluble components and other additives are preferably applied to the water insoluble particles of the water insoluble particulate material in the filling material after the water insoluble particles have been formed. The one or more water soluble components and other additives may be added as a liquid/aqueous mixture to the water insoluble particles. All added components may be comprised in the same mixture.

Alternatively, different components may be added in different application steps, e.g., a flavorant may be added in a separate step from an active agent such as nicotine. By applying the one or more water soluble components and other additives to pre-formed water insoluble particles, a major part of the additives will remain on or at the surface of the water insoluble particles and will not penetrate into the interior of the water insoluble particles, such that all or substantially all additives are present on or at the surface of the water insoluble particles in the filling material. The water insoluble particles are preferably homogeneous hydrophilic particles, such as particles of one or more of microcrystalline cellulose, water insoluble starch and silica. It may further be preferred that the water insoluble particles are constituted by mono-component particles of one or more of microcrystalline cellulose, water insoluble starch and silica.

In the pouched product disclosed herein, one or more water soluble component of the filling material may be present on an outer surface of at least some of the particles of the water insoluble particulate material in the filling material, such as on 20% to 100% of the particles, or on 50% to 100% of the particles, or on 80% to 100% of the particles.

In the pouched product disclosed herein, one or more water soluble component of the filling material may be present in interstices between the particles of the water insoluble particulate material in the filling material.

One or more water soluble components may be present both on an outer surface of at least some of the particles in the filling material and in interstices between the particles in the filling material.

It may be preferred that no or substantially no water soluble component of the filling material such as nicotine, flavouring agents, sweeteners, etc., is present in an internal pore structure in the particles of the water insoluble particulate material of the filling material.

The filling material of the oral pouched product as disclosed herein may comprise more than one type of particles. Thereby, the water insoluble particles of the water insoluble particulate material constitute a first type of particles and a second type of particles may differ from the first type of particles in one or more properties such as size, shape, or composition. The second type of particles may be water insoluble particles or fully or partially water soluble particles.

Definitions

The terms “oral” and “oral use” refer to a use of a product in contact with mucous membranes in the oral cavity of a human being, such as buccal placement of the product in the oral cavity. The products for oral use as disclosed herein are intended to be placed in their entirety in the oral cavity and are not intended to be swallowed.

As used herein the terms “pouched product for oral use” or “oral pouched product” refer to a portion of a smokeless composition containing saliva extractables and being packed in a saliva-permeable pouch material.

A “particle” as used herein is a three-dimensional piece of material having a maximum dimension of less than 5 mm and an aspect ratio of from 0.3 to 1. The “aspect ratio”, A_(R), as used herein, is calculated as the width, w, of the particle divided by the length l, of the particle where the length is determined as the largest dimension of the particle and the width is determined as the largest dimension orthogonal to the length: A_(R)=w/l. A particle having an aspect ratio of 1 may e.g., be a perfect sphere or cube. The water insoluble particulate material in the filling material of the oral pouched products disclosed herein may have a regular shape such as a spherical shape, a cubic shape, a cylindrical shape, etc., or may have an irregular shape with regular or near-regular shapes being generally preferred. The particles may have generally smooth outer surfaces or may have small aberrations in the outer surfaces.

A “water insoluble particle” as referred to herein is a particle which does not dissolve when subjected to saliva in the oral cavity of a user and which retains or substantially retains its shape when incorporated in a pouched product for oral use. The water insolubility also means that the particle size of the water insoluble particles as referred to herein does not diminish or at least does not diminish by more than 1% during use of an oral pouched product incorporating the water insoluble particles. The shape and the size of the water insoluble particles may remain substantially unaffected during use. However, a certain amount of swelling of the water insoluble particles may be permitted or even desired. The swelling should preferably be less than 30% of the pre-use volume of the water insoluble particles and more preferably less than 20% of the pre-use volume of the water insoluble particles.

As used herein, the term “moisture content” refers to the percent by weight, wt %, of oven volatile substances, such as water and other oven volatiles (e.g., propylene glycol and ethanol) which is present in a component material, a composition or a product and is determined according to the Loss-On-Drying (LOD) method disclosed herein.

The “dry weight” of a material, a composition, or a product is calculated by detracting the amount of moisture from the total weight of the material, composition or product, the moisture content being determined by the Loss-On-Drying (LOD) method as disclosed herein.

As used herein, the term “water content” refers to the percent by weight, wt %, of water in a component material, a composition, or a product. The water content may be determined by using a standardized method for water analysis, such as Karl Fischer titration or gas chromatography, GC.

The term “additional component” refers to any component except water, which is present in addition to the particles of the water insoluble particulate material in the filling material as disclosed herein, such as salts (e.g. sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride and any combinations thereof), pH adjusters (e.g. sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate), flavouring agents, sweeteners, colorants, humectants (e.g. propylene glycol or glycerol), antioxidants, preservatives (e.g. potassium sorbate), binders, tobacco and non-tobacco plant material. The water-soluble component or water-soluble components which are part of the filling material in the oral pouched products as disclosed herein constitute one or more additional components.

The terms “flavour” or “flavouring agent” are used herein for substances used to influence the aroma and/or taste of the oral pouched product. The flavours may be any food-grade natural or synthetic flavour as known in the art and may include without limitation, essential oils, single flavour compounds, compounded flavourings, and extracts.

By “tobacco” or “tobacco material” is meant any part, e.g., leaves, stems, stalks, and flowers, of any member of the genus Nicotiana.

By a “cover material” as used herein is implied any suitable saliva permeable packaging material as known in the art. The cover material may also be referred to as “pouch material” and may be a nonwoven material, a material made by conventional textile production methods such as weaving or knitting or may be an apertured plastic film, or a net. A nonwoven material suitable for use as cover material may be a nonwoven material comprising staple fibres, such as staple fibres of regenerated cellulose e.g., viscose rayon staple fibres and a binder, such as a polyacrylate binder or other chemical binder. Such nonwoven materials are commonly produced by carding the staple fibres to form a fibrous web, followed by consolidating the carded fibrous web by means of the binder. Alternatively, the nonwoven material may comprise fibres which are formed into a nonwoven web by spunbonding, hydroentangling, meltblowing, etc. The fibres used in such processes are generally thermoplastic fibres which are thermally bonded to form a coherent nonwoven web. The covering material may optionally comprise additional components such as flavouring agents and/or colorants.

Pouched products for oral use are normally sized and configured to fit comfortably and discreetly in a user's mouth between the upper or lower gum and the lip. In general, pouched products for oral use have a generally rectangular shape. Some typical shapes (length×width) of commercially available pouched products for oral use are, for instance, 35 mm×20 mm, 34/35 mm×14 mm, 33/34 mm×18 mm, 27/28 mm×14 mm, 34 mm×10 mm and 38×14 mm. Typical pouched products for oral use may have a maximum length within the range of from 25 mm to 40 mm along the longitudinal direction of the product and a maximum width within the range of from 5 mm to 20 mm along the transverse direction of the product. The pre-use thickness of the pouched product is normally within the range of from 2 mm to 8 mm. The total weight of commercially available pouched products for oral use is typically within the range from about 0.3 g to about 3.5 g, such as from about 0.5 g to 1.7 g, per pouched product. The volume of a portion of filling material in a pouch may be in the range of from 0.5 cm³ to 1.5 cm³, depending on the size of the pouch.

A “user container” typically contains in the range of 10-30 pouched products, such as in the range of 20-25 pouched products. The pouched products may be placed randomly in the user container or in a pattern, for instance as described in WO 2012/069505 A1. The user container as disclosed herein is a consumer package having a shape and a size adapted for conveniently carrying the consumer package in a pocket or in a handbag and may be used for packaging any known type of pouched product for oral use. The user container may include a disposal compartment for storage of used oral pouched products. The disposal compartment is separated from the compartment in the container where the fresh oral pouched products are stored up until use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be further explained hereinafter by means of non-limiting examples and with reference to the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a pouched product for oral use;

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section taken along the line II-II through the pouched product of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 shows generally spherical particles suitable for use in the oral pouched products as disclosed herein;

FIGS. 4 a-4 d show examples of alternative particle shapes;

FIG. 5 shows the dimensions for a flat-out pouch for use in the particle redistribution test as disclosed herein; and

FIG. 6 shows test equipment for use in the particle redistribution test as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the drawings are schematic and that individual components are not necessarily drawn to scale.

The pouched product 1 for oral use which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a liquid permeable cover material 2 and a portion sized amount of a filling material 3 comprising a water insoluble particulate material constituted by a plurality of water insoluble particles 4 enclosed by the liquid permeable cover material 2. The cover material 2 may be any suitable type of cover material as disclosed herein and is formed into a generally rectangular pouch into which the filling material 3 has been inserted.

A common way of making a pouched product having a generally rectangular pillow-like shape, such as the pouched product 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , is either to provide the cover material as a seamless and endless tube or to form a flat web of cover material into an endless tube which is provided with a continuous seal in the longitudinal direction of the endless tube. The endless tube is subsequently intermittently sealed in the transverse direction of the endless tube while filling the endless tube with filling material into pockets which are created between the transverse seals. Individual pouched products are severed from the filled and sealed tube of cover material and are usually packed in user containers. Sealing of the cover material may be made with any suitable method or combination of methods, such as by means of adhesive, heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, needling, etc. Heat sealing and ultrasonic welding require the cover material to contain at least a functional amount of thermoplastic material, such as thermoplastic fibres or thermoplastic binders.

The longitudinal seal created during manufacturing appears as a longitudinal seal 6 extending along the length l of the pouched product 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . No such seal will be present if the cover material is provided in the form of an endless seam-less tube. The transverse seals form end seals 7 which define the width w of the pouched product 1. The pouched product 1 has a first main surface 8 and a second main surface 9 and a thickness t being defined as the greatest perpendicular distance between the first main surface 8 and the second main surface 9.

The particles 4 of the water insoluble particulate material may constitute a very high proportion of the total dry weight of the filling material 3, such as 75% by dry weight to 99% by dry weight of the filling material, as set out herein.

The filling material 3 further comprises one or more water soluble components 11, such as flavours, sweeteners, active ingredients such as nicotine, etc. as disclosed herein.

A part of a filling material 3 for an oral pouched product as disclosed herein is shown in FIG. 3 , the filling material 3 comprising a plurality of generally spherical, preferably water insoluble particles 4.

The particles 4 of the filling material have a relatively large average particle size within the range of from 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm. By using large water insoluble particles for the particles 4 of the water insoluble particulate material in the filling material 3, a major part of the water soluble components 11, i.e. components which are soluble in water and saliva, may to a large extent be present in the filling material 3 on surfaces of the particles 4 which are facing interstices 12 between the particles 4. In this manner, any water soluble components 12 may be substantially “concealed” within the mass of the filling material 3 where they do not add or do not substantially add to the volume of the filling material 3.

FIG. 3 shows only a very small number of particles 4. In a full portion of filling material 3 for an oral pouched product 1, the number of particles 4 in the water insoluble particulate material is considerably higher, such as in the order of 150 particles or more which means that a large majority of the particle surfaces will be located in the interior of the filling material 3.

As disclosed herein, the particles 4 of the water insoluble particulate material may be dense, non-porous particles having a particle density in the range of from 0.8 g/cm³ to 1.7 g/cm³, such as from 1.0 g/cm³ to 1.5 g/cm³, such as from 1.1 g/cm³ to 1.4 g/cm³. In such dense non-porous particles, no, or substantially no water soluble components 11 are present within the particles 4 themselves.

FIGS. 4 a, 4 b, 4 c and 4 d illustrate some alternative shapes for the particles 4 of the filling materials 3 as disclosed herein.

The particles 4 which are shown in FIG. 4 a have a substantially cubic shape, the particles 4 which are shown in FIG. 4 b are grain-shaped, the particles 4 which are shown in FIG. 4 c have a substantially cylindrical shape and the particles 4 which are shown in FIG. 4 d have an irregular shape. The particles 4 in FIG. 4 a , has an aspect ratio w/l which is approximately 1, while the particles 4 shown in FIGS. 4 b-4 d have a smaller aspect ratio.

For the oral pouched products 1 as disclosed herein, particle shapes having circular or oval cross-sections such as those shown in FIGS. 3, 4 b, and 4 c may be particularly preferred. Irregular smoothly curved shapes such as shown in FIG. 4 d are generally preferred over irregular shapes having sharp protrusions.

EXAMPLES AND DESCRIPTION OF TEST METHODS Method for Determining Moisture Content, Loss on Drying (LOD)

The moisture content as referred to herein may be determined by using a method based on literature references Federal Register/vol. 74, no. 4/712-719/Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2009/Notices “Total moisture determination” and AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemics), Official Methods of Analysis 966.02: “Moisture in Tobacco” (1990), Fifth Edition, K. Helrich (ed). In this method, the moisture content is determined gravimetrically by taking 2.5±0.25 g sample and weighing the sample at ambient conditions, herein defined as being at a temperature of 22° C. and a relative humidity of 60%, before evaporation of moisture and after completion of dehydration. Mettler Toledo's Moisture Analyzer HB43, a balance with halogen heating technology, is used (instead of an oven and a balance as in the mentioned literature references) in the experiments described herein. The sample is heated to 105° C. (instead of 99.5±0.5° C. as in the mentioned literature references). The measurement is stopped when the weight change is less than 1 mg during a 90 second time frame. The moisture content as weight percent of the sample is then calculated automatically by the Moisture Analyzer HB43.

Method for Determining Dynamic Friction Between Particles and Cover Material

The measurements were performed according to ASTM1894 using an Instron Coefficient of Friction Fixture.

The tests were carried out by applying a sample cover material on a test area of the horizontal test plate of the test apparatus having an extension of 215×130 mm. A sample of 40 g of the filling material to be tested was applied on the cover material and was distributed evenly in the test area. A three-walled enclosure of plastic bars was used to prevent spilling over of the filling material at the sides and rear of the test plate, while allowing motion of the test sled in the motion direction of the tow line. The same cover material as the cover material on the horizontal plate of the test apparatus was applied to the friction sled and the sled was slid across the filling material yielding the dynamic coefficient of friction.

The tested filling materials were:

Reference 1 was the filling material from the commercial product sold under the name ZYN Slim from Swedish Match North Europe AB. The moisture content in the filling material was approximately 39%, the filling material containing particles of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) having an average particle size of 180 μm, and bamboo fibres, in a 50/50 mix by dry weight.

Reference 2 was the filling material from the commercial product sold under the name ZYN Dry citrus 3 mg from Swedish Match North Europe AB. The filling material was constituted by approximately 84% by dry weight of a combination of granules of microcrystalline cellulose and maltitol. The moisture content in the filling material was approximately 3%.

Example 1 was a filling material constituted by approximately 78% by weight of the total weight of the filling material of particles of microcrystalline cellulose having an average particle size of 945 μm, a sphericity of 0.9±0.05, a particle density of 1.3 g/cm³ and a bulk density of 0.78 g/cm³, and approximately 9% by weight of additional components based on the total weight of the filling material. The moisture content in the filling material was 13% by weight of the filling material.

Example 2 was a filling material constituted by approximately 78% by weight of the total weight of the filling material of particles of microcrystalline cellulose having an average particle size of 445 μm, a sphericity of 0.9±0.05, a particle density of 1.3 g/cm³ and a bulk density of 0.72 g/cm³, and approximately 9% by weight of additional components based on the total weight of the filling material. The moisture content in the filling material was 15% by weight of the filling material.

Example 3 was a filling material constituted by approximately 78% by weight of the total weight of the filling material of particles of microcrystalline cellulose having an average particle size of 1200 μm, a sphericity of 0.9±0.05, a particle density of 1.3 g/cm³ and a bulk density of 0.72 g/cm³, and approximately 9% by weight of additional components based on the total weight of the filling material. The moisture content in the filling material was 15% by weight of the filling material.

The cover material used in all three tests was a viscose nonwoven web having a basis weight of 29 g/m² and comprising 40 wt % binder. The fibres in the nonwoven web were 100% viscose staple fibres having a linear density of 1.7 decitex and a fibre length of 40 mm.

TABLE 1 Dynamic coefficient of friction Reference 1 0.23 Reference 2 0.19 Example 1 0.10 Example 2 0.17 Example 3 0.07

As is evident from Table 1, the large, dense particles of Examples 1, 2 and 3 in a filling material according to the invention, showed a considerably lower coefficient of friction than the Reference filling materials when measured against the same cover material.

Method for Determining Particle Redistribution in an Oral Pouched Product Sample Preparation:

Pouches 1 were manually prepared from a strip of nonwoven pouch material which was sealed with a longitudinal seal 6 as shown in FIG. 1 , to form a nonwoven tube having a flat width of 14 mm. The longitudinal seal 6 may be made e.g., in a Merz Packer. The length of the tube should be sufficient to produce a pouch 1 having the flat dimensions shown in FIG. 5 , i.e., a width of 14 mm and an inner length between the end seals 7′, 7″ of 32 mm.

The nonwoven tube was then provided with a first transverse end seal 7′ and markings were made on the tube at 22 mm and 32 mm from the first end seal 7′. The tube was filled from the open end with filling material 3 up to the 22 mm mark. A second transverse end seal 7″ was then formed at the 32 mm mark, such that the filling material was completely enclosed between the end seals 7′, 7″. Five samples were prepared for each of the tested filling materials.

The reference filling materials were obtained from commercially available products which were cut open and emptied of filling material. The tested reference fillings were obtained from:

Helwit Violet from Yoik AB. According to the ingredient list on the packaging, the bulk of the filling material is cellulose. The filling material further contains, glycerol, propylene glycol, nicotine, sodium carbonate, sodium chloride, flavour additives, mannitol, and sucralose. The moisture content in the filling material was 12.7% of the total weight of the filling material.

Nordic Spirit Spearmint Intense from Nordic Spirit AB. According to the ingredient list on the packaging, the bulk of the filling material is maltitol and cellulose. The filling material further contains chewing gum base, glycerol, propylene glycol, nicotine, sodium carbonate and flavour additives. The moisture content in the filling material was 7.8% of the total weight of the filling material.

Shiro Sweet Mint from AG Snus. According to the ingredient list on the packaging, the bulk of the filling material is cellulose. The filling material further contains, glycerol, flavour additives, sodium chloride, nicotine, sodium carbonate, potassium sorbate and guar gum. The moisture content in the filling material was 20.5% of the total weight of the filling material.

Four filling materials according to the invention were tested:

Sample 1 was the filling material of Example 1 in the friction test above, having a moisture content in the filling material of 13% by weight of the filling material.

Sample 2 was the filling material of Sample 1, but with a moisture content of approximately 20% by weight of the filling material.

Sample 3 was the filling material of Sample 1, but with a moisture content of approximately 30% by weight of the filling material.

Sample 4 was a filling material of the same composition as in Sample 1, but with microcrystalline cellulose particles having an average particle size of 445 μm.

Test Procedure:

The tests were carried out at ambient conditions, as defined herein. The tested sample pouches 1 were applied in the frame 20 shown in FIG. 6 with the first transverse end seal 7′ placed below the second transverse end seal 7″. The pouches 1 were attached to the frame 20 by means of a double-sided tape applied to the first transverse end seal 7′. The frame 20 was designed to support the filled pouch 1 without compressing it. Following application of the filled pouch in the frame, the shortest distance between the upper surface of the filling material 3 and the first transverse seal 7′, i.e., the height of the filling material 3 in the pouch 1, was determined using a digital tabletop caliper device having a resolution of 0.01 mm. A background LED light was directed at the pouch 1 for improving content discernability. Care was taken not to agitate or shake the filled pouch 1 during application of the pouch in the frame. The frame was then turned 180° whereby the first transverse end seal 7′ is placed above the second transverse end seal 7″. The amount of filling material present in the lower part of the pouch 1 after turning of the pouch 1 was measured as the shortest distance from the lower second transverse end seal 7″ to the upper surface of the filling material which had relocated to the now lower part of the pouch 1. Similarly, the amount of filling material 3 present in the upper part of the pouch 1 after turning of the pouch was measured as the shortest distance from the first transverse end seal 7′ downward to the lower surface of the filling material which remained in the now upper part of the pouch.

Test Results: Reference 1; Helwit Violet

After turning of the frame-mounted pouch 180°, almost all filling material remained in the now upper part of the pouch and only a trickle of filling material was visible at the bottom of the pouch. The distance between the second transverse end seal 7″ at the lower part of the pouch and the filling material was not quantifiable i.e., the distance was not measurable by the digital tabletop caliper, as an insufficient amount of filling material was present for determining an upper surface of the filling material.

Reference 2: Nordic Spirit Spearmint Intense

After turning of the frame-mounted pouch 180°, almost all filling material remained in the now upper part of the pouch and only a trickle of filling material was visible at the bottom of the pouch. The distance between the second transverse end seal at the lower part of the pouch and the filling material was not quantifiable i.e., the distance was not measurable by the digital tabletop caliper, as an insufficient amount of filling material was present for determining an upper surface of the filling material.

Reference 3: Shiro Sweet Mint

After turning of the frame-mounted pouch 180°, almost all filling material remained in the now upper part of the pouch and only a trickle of filling material was visible at the bottom of the pouch. The distance between the second transverse end seal at the lower part of the pouch and the filling material was not quantifiable i.e., the distance was not measurable by the digital tabletop caliper, as an insufficient amount of filling material was present for determining an upper surface of the filling material.

Sample 1: Filling with Particles of Microcrystalline Cellulose Having an Average Particle Size of 945 μm and a Moisture Content of 13% by Weight of the Filling Material.

After turning of the frame-mounted pouch 180°, a major part of the filling material had dislocated from the top end of the pouch and had fallen to the bottom end of the pouch. On average, 69.5% of the filling material, determined as the filling height of the pouch, had relocated after the 180 turn, leaving the upwards directed end of the pouch nearly void of filling material.

Sample 2: Filling with Particles of Microcrystalline Cellulose Having an Average Particle Size of 945 μm and a Moisture Content of 20% by Weight of the Filling Material.

After turning of the frame-mounted pouch 180°, a major part of the filling material had dislocated from the top end of the pouch and had fallen to the bottom end of the pouch. On average, 71.0% of the filling material, determined as the filling height of the pouch, had relocated after the 180 turn, leaving the upwards directed end of the pouch nearly void of filling material.

Sample 3: Filling with Particles of Microcrystalline Cellulose Having an Average Particle Size of 945 μm and a Moisture Content of 30% by Weight of the Filling Material.

After turning of the frame-mounted pouch 180°, a major part of the filling material had dislocated from the top end of the pouch and had fallen to the bottom end of the pouch. On average, 67.3% of the filling material, determined as the filling height of the pouch, had relocated after the 180 turn, leaving the upwardly directed end of the pouch nearly void of filling material.

Sample 4: Filling with Particles of Microcrystalline Cellulose Having an Average Particle Size of 445 μm and a Moisture Content of 13% by Weight of the Filling Material.

After turning of the frame-mounted pouch 180°, a major part of the filling material had dislocated from the top end of the pouch and had fallen down to the bottom end of the pouch. On average, 56.1% of the filling material, determined as the filling height of the pouch, had relocated after the 180 turn, leaving the upwards directed end of the pouch nearly void of filling material.

The tests show that the commercially available filling materials when filled in pouches with identical proportions and made from the same nonwoven material would not relocate to any appreciable extent under the influence of gravitational forces. In contrast thereto, the filling materials according to the invention were shown to readily relocate inside the pouch when turned upside-down.

With the tested prior art filling materials, substantially all filling material remained at the first transverse end seal 7′ and did not fall down to the opposite end at the second transverse end seal 7″ after turning the sample pouch upside-down. Hence, the propensity of the prior art filling materials to relocate inside the pouch in response to the gravitational force was found to be minimal, indicating that a much higher force would be necessary to reshape a pouch filled with such conventional filling materials.

In contrast thereto, the filling materials of the invention were found to readily relocate inside the pouch when exposed to a gravitational force. The high propensity for relocating inside the pouch reflects the ability of the oral pouched products of the invention to reshape and to fit snugly and comfortably in the space between a user's gum and lip. 

1. A pouched product for oral use comprising a liquid permeable cover material and a filling material comprising a water insoluble particulate material consisting of water insoluble particles, the filling material being enclosed by the liquid permeable cover material, characterized in that, the particles of the water insoluble particulate material have an average particle size within the range of from 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm, a particle density within the range of from 0.8 g/cm³ to 1.7 g/cm³ and a pre-use moisture content of from 1% by weight of the filling material to 35% by weight of the filling material, the filling material being free from tobacco material or the filling material comprising tobacco material in an amount within the range of from 0.05 wt % to 10 wt % based on the total weight of the filling material; and in that the liquid permeable cover material is a nonwoven material.
 2. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein the water insoluble particulate material contains less than 0.5% of particles which are small enough to pass through a sieve having a mesh size of 250 μm.
 3. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein the particles of the water insoluble particulate material are particles having a cylindrical or substantially cylindrical shape, a spherical or substantially spherical shape, or are particles having an elongated rounded or substantially rounded shape.
 4. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein the particles of the water insoluble particulate material have a spherical or substantially spherical shape and a sphericity in the range of from 0.7 to 1.0.
 5. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein the water insoluble particulate material comprises water insoluble particles.
 6. A pouched product according to claim 5, wherein the water insoluble particles constitute 75% by dry weight to 99% by dry weight of the filling material.
 7. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein the water permeable outer cover material has an air permeability of from 4,000 l/m²/s to 10,000 l/m²/s, when measured according to the EDANA test method WSP070.1.R3.
 8. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein the water permeable outer cover material has a basis weight in the range of from 10 g/m² to
 30. g/m².
 9. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein the liquid permeable cover material is a dry-formed nonwoven material.
 10. A pouched product according to claim 9, wherein the staple fibres in the nonwoven material are staple fibres of regenerated cellulose.
 11. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein the particles of the water insoluble particulate material have a sphericity within the range of from 0.7 to 1.0 and a diameter of from 0.3 mm to 3 mm.
 12. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein the filling material comprises nicotine, the nicotine being added in the filling material in the form of a nicotine compound.
 13. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein the filling material comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of a flavouring agent, a sweetener, a humectant, and any mixture thereof.
 14. A pouched product according to claim 13, wherein the additive comprises a flavouring agent.
 15. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein one or more water soluble component of the filling material is present on an outer surface of at least some of the particles of the water insoluble particulate material.
 16. A pouched product according to claim 1, wherein one or more water soluble component of the filling material is present in interstices between the particles of the water insoluble particulate material. 